Bradford woman's death investigated by new watchdog

Image source, Google

Image caption, Claire Harper was being held at Trafalgar House, Bradford, said the IOPC

The death of a woman in police custody is to be investigated by the police watchdog.

Claire Harper, 41, from Bradford, was detained by West Yorkshire Police on Sunday and later found unresponsive in a cell.

She was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary but could not be revived, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

Investigators have been carrying out initial evidence-gathering, it said.

More stories from Yorkshire

Catherine Bates, of the IOPC - which has replaced The Independent Police Complaints Commission - said: "This is a very serious incident and we will be investigating the contact West Yorkshire Police had with Claire prior to her death."

The IOPC oversees the police complaints system in England and Wales and investigates deaths following police contact. It sets the standard over how the police handle complaints.

The new watchdog makes decisions independently of the police and government, it said.